Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2024-LR - Flipbook - Page 45
Our Impacts in 2023
The team used three-dimensional photogrammetry
techniques to map the habitats of remaining groups
of Ctenella in detail, took genetic samples from every
colony they found and installed temperatures loggers to
record changes brought by the fast approaching El Niño.
Finally, they collected a group of 12 individuals across
two locations with more common species to allow for
comparative research. Bringing them on board the
research vessel, the Grampian Endurance, the project
team and crew used re-circulating aquarium holding
systems to act as temporary housing for the corals.
From there the corals were packaged and boxed for
transport, travelling by air for more than 24 hours until
they arrived at their initial destination at the Horniman
Museum in London – all corals arrived healthy and well
and acclimated quickly to the new environment.
Since then, a second, duplicate set of the corals has
been created by fragmentation techniques and this
Marine Science 2023
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second population successfully transferred to ZSL where
they have settled in well in a dedicated system.
All colonies are growing fast, some spawning activity
has been noted, and the teams are learning more about
their husbandry requirements with each passing week.
Understanding this coral’s biology and reproductive
history is a vital part of building a conservation
management plan for this species both in and ex situ.
There is an imminent threat of a fourth global bleaching
event across the Western Indian Ocean in 2024, due to
sea surface temperatures heading into the danger zone
for coral survival, following predictive models. Highly
protected reefs in the Chagos Archipelago have bleached
and recovered well before but given the small numbers
of Ctenella still left in the wild combined with the known
devastating impacts of previous bleaching events on
this species, the insurance provided by a safe aquariumbased population is reassuring for its future survival.
Chagos brain coral rescue project, Dive 2, Middle Brother Lagoon © Jon Slayer
References: Benkwitt, C.E., Carr, P., Wilson, S.K., Graham, N.A.J. (2022) ‘Seabird diversity and biomass enhance cross-ecosystem nutrient
subsidies’ – Proceedings B [seabirds]. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0195
Sandin, S.A. et al. (incl. Graham, N.A.J.) (2022) ‘Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation’
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2122354119
